It's depressing to observe that most Hindi films arrive without a bang and leave without a whimper. That's exactly what happened last week, with three out of four films sending out clear signals, vis-?is their box-office performance, on Day 1 itself.
Barring BACHKE REHNA RE BABA, which had a 45%-55% start on an average, the remaining three films, SILSIILAY, SSUKH and 99.9. FM, grossed poor figures from the word 'Go'. The film industry, which was already reeling under a spate of flops, felt even more demoralized this Friday.
While SILSIILAY at least had a 20%-30% + start at places, SSUKH, considered by many to be Govinda's comeback vehicle, cut a sorry picture everywhere.
BACHKE REHNA RE BABA was pretty hot prior to its release. In fact, the names behind this project clinched the deals of major territories on the basis of the hot-n-happening promos of this sex-comedy. Mallika Sherawat also participated in the last-minute promotions days before the film hit the marquee and like always, issued statements that the media loves to highlight.
Post-release, Mallika made a point to visit the cinema halls, especially those patronized by the masses/hoi polloi, as part of the promotional strategy.
Like I've always maintained, the business is clearly divided these days. Certain films fare better at the single screens, while drawing a blank at the multiplexes. BACHKE REHNA RE BABA behaved exactly that way. The film had an average run in its first weekend at theatres being patronized by the masses, but recorded dull collections at multiplexes, which are frequented by families/elite.
The second release, SILSIILAY, targeted at the gentry/elite, failed to attract its target audience from Day 1 itself. The film was released without much hype [surprising, since Vashu Bhagnani's films are so extensively promoted] and its non-performance at multiplexes also came as a surprise.
Surprising, since women-oriented films, made by names that hold weight, are looked forward to by the elite. Not that anyone was expecting SILSIILAY to embark on a 90% + start, but it should've at least garnered a 60% + start at multiplexes. As things stand today, SILSIILAY has failed to strike a chord everywhere, with the collections plummeting as days progressed.
The performance of SSUKH came as a shock to many. Low on hype and low on content as well, SSUKH recorded pathetic collections everywhere. And those who watched the film didn't have a good word either. It's important to change with the times. If you don't, if you are still stuck up in the 1980s, the moviegoer would be ruthless in showing you the harsh realities.
